Greasy Lake Summary
“Greasy Lake” by T.C. Boyle follows a group of well read college students desperate to portray themselves as hardened badasses by drinking cheap alcohol and cruising around town till the break of dawn. On the third night of summer vacation, the boys fid themselves at Greasy Lake going toe to toe with a shady character they mistakenly identified as a friend. The ever-worsening situation results in the shady individual collapsing from a tire iron to the head, sending the group of boys into a destructive fervor. The boys narrowly escape persecution from a group of true greasers by plunging into the woods and waters of Greasy Lake where the narrator brushes shoulders with a water logged carcass and emerges changed by his experience. “Greasy Lake’s” …show more content…
Only when the narrator finds himself bumping shoulders with a floating body in Greasy Lake does he feel “the tug of fear” (5) and the darker side of the persona he attempted to take on. “Greasy Lake” is written in 1st person point of view. The narrator is a college age boy whose use of “I” such as “I blundered into something” (4) and “I don’t know how long I lay there” (5) shows that the story is seen through his perspective. The use of 1st person in “Greasy Lake” better allows the reader to understand the complex emotions and viewpoints of the narrator. The narrator’s constant allusions to things only well educated people would recognize such as “Virgin Spring” (4) shows that despite portraying himself to others as a hardened rebel, he is an intellectual with a strong educational background.
Had “Greasy Lake” been written in 3rd person it would not possess the same level of intimacy. In 1st person the narrators unreliability is highlighted in a way that 3rd person cannot. The reader would lose the ability to distinguish between the narrators outward persona and his inner self. An example of this is when the narrator expresses that he keeps a tire iron under his seat because thats what “bad characters” (6) did. Without this insight the narrator would be painted as a true badass, instead of the poser that he truly
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Greasy Lake Essay
660 Words | 3 PagesAlthough the narrator considers himself a “bad character” (Boyle 79) he quickly realizes that he is “in a lot of trouble” (Boyle 78). After the narrator hits the “bad character” (Boyle 79) with a tire iron, more angry characters arrive at Greasy Lake, causing the narrator and his friends to separate and hide. The young boys did not feel safe to come out of hiding in the presence of the angry characters. That is, until the morning after the greasy character and the others have completely destroyed his mother’s
Symbolism In Dominick Grace's Greasy Lake
599 Words | 3 PagesWhen reading the short story, the first symbol the reader acknowledges is the title and how it is used to draw the setting. “Greasy Lake” gives us the vibe of how “it may be a party site, but it is associated with decay and destruction” (Grace 3). As Dominick Grace states, “the title “Greasy Lake” gives Boyle the chance to create an unpredictable atmosphere” (3). By creating an unpredictable setting, the reader is able to predict what consequences are to come as the narrator and his friends go on their “bad” adventure. Boyle makes the story more realistic when the events become more dangerous.
Theme Of Greasy Lake
291 Words | 2 PagesEveryone goes through the transition from childhood to adulthood. Boys become young men, and girls become young women; this is a significant stepping stone in the “journey to maturity.” Of course, becoming mature does not happen over night. Instead, it is a long process of learning from experience, which gives the young adult a new outlook on life and a new set of skills. The initiation theme is discussed in the article “Greasy Lake,” by critic Dennis Vanatta who argues that the author T.C. Boyle has created a narrator who is reflecting on his youth and an evening that would prove to be his stepping stone in the journey to maturity.
The Setting In Tom Boyle's Greasy Lake
847 Words | 4 PagesTom Boyle did a great job in the writing and describing the setting in the story “Greasy Lake”. The words he uses and the way he puts together his sentences makes it easy for the reader to visualize the setting. The setting in Greasy Lake makes you feel as if you were there and the description makes it seem as if it were not long ago. Boyle described everything from what they wore to the feeling of touching a floating dead body. The setting of this story is very important because the time period sets the tone of the story.
Conflict In Greasy Lake
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